Extensible shoe form



March 15, 1932. Wl B, CONER .1,849,751

EXTENSIBLE SHOE FORM -Filed May 19, 1928 i l l z 19 23 J4 16 2.3 213 24,25 la 20 WILL/AM BOUNOT CONNE/C,

latened Mar. 15, 1932 Partnr orifice WILLIAM BOUDINOT CONNER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.v

EXTENSIBLE SHOE FORM Application led May 19,

adapted to be used as an extensible form orv last during manufacture of the shoe.

General objects of the invention include the provision of a shoe form for the abovementioned purposes vvhich can be readily inserted into and Withdrawn from the shoeV and which will be extensible and retractible in opposite directions of simultaneous movement of its heel and toe parts i'n the longitudinal line of the form to give a double elongation and retraction for rapidity and nicety of its extension at justinent to the situation of use and rapidity of retraction of the parts for quick removal of the form from the shoe.

Another general object of my ,invention is to provide a shoe form of simple construction which Will contain none of the ordinary .i-zprings, catches, clips, pins etc. Which heretefore have been charcteristic of shoe forms inv general and Which, becauseof their destructibility and liability to get out of order, have aft-er a certain period of use caused the form to operate unsatisfactorily. In other Words, my invention contemplates the provision of a shoe form of such simplicity and durability that it can be used practically indeliniely without depreciation of its usefulness. TsWhile these general objects are attained by the structural features of my invention hereinafter referred to, they also preferably include the making of the shoe form throughout of light met al for strength and durability ivnile still maintaining` the form light enough for its intended purposes.

l am aware that the prior art presents extensible shoe forms having provision for their more rapid extension and retraction by apposite directions of simultaneous movement of the heel and toe parts in the longitudinal line of the form. But, so far as I am aware, in these prior art forms, either the mechanism for the extension and retraction of the form introduces a Weak structural connection between the toe and heel parts of 1928. Serial No. 279,031.

the form, poorly adapted to withstand the strains imposed in use upon the extended forni, or greater strength in that connection has been attained only by complications in the structure of the adj usting mechanism and substantial modifications in or additions to the usual simple heel and toe parts to mount or cooperate with that mechanism. Another disadvantage in the prior art forms has been the necessity of locking devices' of various' descriptions to hold the form to its extended position against the strains in use tending to retract it. till another disadvantage in these prior art forms, especially those extensible in a double elongation by opposite directions of simultaneous movement of the heel and toe parts, is that their extensibility has been limited by the extent of opposite simultaneeus movement of the heel and toe parts allowed by the mechanism providing for that movement, that limitation preventing the use of the same form or the same size of form for Widely varying sizes of shoes.

Accordingly, more particular objects of my invention include the provision of a shoe form having improved mechanism for the double elongation hereinbefore referred to of relatively simple construction, requiring no substantial modification of or additions to the usual simple form of heel and toe parts to mount or cooperate With that mechanism, and Which mechanism Will provide, Without a locking device, and in any position of extension of the heel and toe parts of the form, a strong, rigid connection between them, especially in the median longitudinal line of the form Where the greatest strains are exerted tending to retract or collapse the form. Another particular object of my invention is to provide means enabling such an extension adjustment of the -toe part of the form, separate from and additional to that of the double elongation referred to,as to fit the form to larger sized `shoes than has heretofore been possible in a form adapted to the smaller or normal sizes.

The foregoing and other objects and the principles of the invention Will more fully appear from the detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention hereinafter presented and illustrated in the. accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification. It is to be understood, however, that the` embodiment referred to is simply one example illustrative of the principles of the invention and is not to be taken as limiting the invention to that precise form, the invention including other embodiments and modifications of the embodiment shown, all within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 presents a top plan View of the extensible shoe form constituting, as stated above, a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 presents a vertical longitudinal sectional view along the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, that is, along the longitudinal median line of the form, with certain parts, such as screw shafts and operating handle, shown in side elevation, and with the form somewhat extended beyond the condition of the form as shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 presents a bottom plan view of the form in its condition as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 4 presents a side elevational view of the form in its condition as shown in Figs. 1 and 8, the rear curved surface of the heel part of the form being shown in Fig. 4 somewhat broken away.

modifications thereof or additions thereto for mounting or cooperating with the mechanism to extend and retract the form. In the present example, the front or toe part and the heel part of the simple character referred to are shown at 10 and 11. respectively. They are preferably of shell-like or hollow form and preferably also of light metal, the larger part 10 which functions as the main or front foot part being also preferably perforated as indicated by the apertures 12 for further lightness of structure, such character of construction and material aifordingfexceptional lightness and strength.

As also hereinbefore stated, when an eX- tensible shoe form is in its extended condition in a shoe for the purpose of stretching the shoe in a manner to keep the shoe in proper shape and prevent wrinkling of the leather. considerable -stresses are exerted, especially in the median longitudinal line of the form, tending to retract or collapse together the extended or spaced parts of the form. These stresses are especially severe when the shoe is drying on the form from a wet or damp condition when the form was inserted. In the novel shoe form of my invention, the mechanism for extending the form is of such structural principles as to present in all positionsof extensions adjustment a rigid structural connection or abutment between the front and rear parts of the form along the median longitudinal line of the form of ample strength to resist the considerable stresses exerted in this line tending to retract the parts toward each other.

In the illustrative example of the invention disclosed in the drawings, the mechanism providing both for the double extension and retraction of the form and for the rigid connection or abutment between the front and rear parts of the form, includes as an important feature oppositely aligned screw shafts 13 and 14, lying in the longitudinal median line of the form, parallel to the substantially flat sole portion 16 of the main foot or front portion of the form, and in threaded relation with the front foot and rear or heel parts of the form, respectively.

This threaded relation of the two screw shafts with the two separate parts of the form can readily be provided for in the usual simple constructions of these parts Without substantial modifications of or substantial additions to those parts. llVhere the front foot part of the form is of solid construction that part can be provided with the required centrally extending threaded bore to receive the threaded shaft, or where the front foot part of the form is of the type of hollow construction as in the illustrative example, an end wall, 17 preferably somewhat thickened, is bored and threaded to receive the front screw shaft as shown in Fig. 2.

A convenient construction establishing threaded relation of the rear screw shaft with the rear or heel part of the form, adopted in the illustrative embodiment of the invention, is the provision of an interiorly threaded sleeve 18 to receive the screw shaft 14, with the sleeve rigidly attached to the rear portion of the curved wall of the heel part 11, as by a rivet-lile projection 19 extending from the solid end wall of the sleeve 18 through an aperture provided therefor in the rear portion of the heel part 11 and headed over the outer surface of the heel part as a rivet as indicated at 20.

This alignment and spacing of the screw shafts apart enables the operating mechanism for rotating the screw shafts to be mounted between the opposed ends of the shafts and hence also between and independent of the respective foot and heel parts of the form. This arrangement constitutes another specilicl but advantageous feature of my novel shoe form since it obviates the complications of the structure involved in modifying or adding structures to the front or heel part of' the form to mount or cooperates with the referred-to operating mechanism.

In the present illustrative embodiment of the invention, the mechanism for rotating the screw shafts comprises oppositely aligned bevel gears 21 and f22 fixedly mounted on the smooth cylindrical end portions of the screw CII shafts 13 and 14, respectively, as by pins 23` extending through the gear hubs and thel referred-to end portions of the screw shafts, the gear hubs .andthe end portions of the screw shafts, of course, being properly apertured to receive and hold'these pins. The opposed extremities of the unthreaded end portions of the screw shafts 1.3 and 14 are preferably somewhat reduced in diameter, as indicated at 24 and 25, respectively, to, project through the gears 21 and 22 into side bores in a central journal orlbearing block 2G, for journal engagementv therewith.

rIhis bearing block26 is also bored from it top face to provide a. journal bearing and support to a verticallydisposed shaft 27, provided with a handle 2S for-manual operation in rotating the bevelgear 29 tixedly mounted on the shaft 27 as by a pin 30, the bevel gear 29 by its toothed engagement with the toothed bevel gears 21 and`22, rotating the latter gears.

When the shoe form is inserted in a shoe and the mechanism 'operated to extend `the form by simultaneous opposite directions of movement of the foot and heel parts of the form, the engagementof the'substantially flat sole portion of-thefoot part of the form with the insole of the shoe and of the curved upper portion of the foot part of the form with the inner surface of the shoe upper'prevents vturning movement of the foot part of the form on its screw-shaft, but there is a tendency in all shoe forms `of this general character for the smaller and more sharply curved heel part to rotate on its screw shaft in its position inside the heel portion of the shoe. To prevent this turning movement of the heel partof the form, I have adopted, in the preferred and illustrative embodiment of the invention, a bracket 31, of U-shape in vertical cross section and side elevation as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, for the support and mounting of an arm or linger 32 extending over and in parallelism with the rear screw shaft 14, the arm havinga slot 33 to receive a stud 34 rigidly mounted in the upper wall portion of the sleeve 18- and projecting upwardly through the slot. -By this arrangement, as thev rear screw shaft 14 is rotated in opposite directions, the sleeve 18 and consequently the heel part 11 of the form which is rigidly attached tothe sleeve 18, is constrained to a rectilinear travel along the screw shaft, the limit of which in opposite directions is determined bythe engagement of the stud 34 with the opposite ends of the slot 33 in the arm 32.

In addition to its function as a supporting mounting for the slotted arm 32, the U- shaped bracket 31 provides a housing for the gear mechanism operating to rotate the screw shafts, and, if desired, that housing may be improved in appearance by providing it with closed sides and bottom. The

U-shaped bracket form of housing now shown is, of course, properly apertured in its depending side portions for the free turning of the screw shafts therein. Vhile this presents a bracket having some slight tendency, shared `also by the upper bevel gear 29, to turn about the screw shafts as a center when the shoe form is manipulated while out of its position of use in a shoe, it has been found that with a fairly steep pitch or inclination 'of the threads onthe screw shafts, as shown in the` drawings, and with a bevel-gear arrangement of the type here shown for rotating those shafts, there is no tendency whatever of the bevel gears, bracket or screw shafts to turn from any position of their extension adjustment when actually'in use in the shoe. In fact, the entire operating mechanism, including the screw shafts with their vthreaded relation to the foot and heel parts of the form and the gear mechanism, function under the stresses'imposed by the shoe on the extended form to provide a rigid con- ;.nection between those parts of the form, with that connection extending in the line of the ,greatest stresses exerted on the form, the median longitudinal line through the form, and acting in the nature of an abutment between the two parts of the form to resist any retraction of those parts toward each other. this manner, the operating mechanism referred to automatically locks the form in its position of extended adjustment, thus dispensing with the usual locking devices.

The slot 33 in the arm 32 is of the length to provide the usual limitation found most convenient in devices of this general character to the double elongation of the form; that is, to the extension of the foot and heel parts in simultaneous opposite directions of movement, the front part forwardly and the heel part rearwardly. The structural principles of my invention, however, enable an additional extension of the foot part of the form separate from and independently of the heel part, the purpose of which, as hereinbefore stated, is to enable the use of the form for much larger sized shoes than has heretofore been possible in a form of this type adapted to the smaller or normal sizes of shoes. In other words, in my novel shoe form, one such form may be used for practically all sizes of shoes instead of the form being restricted to certain rather narrow ranges of sizes and thus requiring different forms for the different ranges of sizes of shoes.

In the present illustrative embodiment of the invention, with its operating mechanism as shown, the above-referred to object is attained by considerably extending the length of the screw shaft 13 within the foot part 10 beyond the operating length of the screw shaft 14 and beyond the operating length of either screw shaft under the limitations here- Y inbefore referred .to as imposed `.upon 'the double-elongation operation. By fthis arrangement, when the form is to be used in a shoe of extremely large size, .the iirst extension made is that of the foot part, this extension being made priorto the insertion of the form in the shoe and simply by rotating the foot part upon its associated screw shaft in a direction to advance that part forwardly suiiiciently to accommodate `'for the larger size of shoe beyond the accommodation afforded by the normal double-extension operation. Then, with the heel pait not yet V'extended, the form is inserted in the shoe, that insertion being readily done because of the larger shoe opening, and the handle28 is turned in the direction required to produce the usual double extension, thatis the simultaneous forward and rearward vmovements of the foot and heel parts, respectively. To retract the form for its removal from the shoe, the handle 28 is turned in theopposite direction.

In the foregoing connection, it is `t0 Abe noted that the screw shafts 13 and Mare threaded in the same direction of threading, and that the simultaneous opposite directions of movement of the foot and heel parts are due to the fact that the two screw sh'aftsare rotated in opposite directions by the oppositely disposed bevel gears 2l and 22, which in turn receive their own opposite directions of rotation from the single co-acting bevel gear 29.

lVhat is claimed is:

l. i-iin extensible shoe form comprising, iin combination, separate fore and heel parts and screw means selectively operable to extend or retract said form by imparting simultaneous separating or approaching movements to both said parts while the form is in position in the shoe. and means having a manually operable part for operating said screw means, the manually operable part in all its operating positions being wholly above said fore and heel parts when the form is in the shoe, said screw means including` means enabling said fore part to be independently extended from or retracted toward said heel part.

Q. An extensible shoe form comprising, in combination, separate fore and heel parts, a screw shaft in threaded relation with said foie part and an aligned screw shaft in threaded relation with said heel part, gears on the adjacent opposed ends of said shafts and a` gear in coacting engagement with said gears on said shaft for operating the same, said gears and shafts cooperating to form a rigidly locked connection between said fore and heel parts for all extension adjustments thereof.

3. An extensible shoe form comprising, in combination, separate fore and heel parts, a screw shaft in threaded relation with said fore part and extending therefrom ltoward said heel part, a `sleeveion saidheel part exltending toward said -fore part and a screw shaft in threaded relation with vsaid sleeve andextending therefrom toward and in alignment 'wit-h said first :mentioned screw shaft, gears :on the adjacent opposed ends of said shafts, a gear cooperating with said gears on Vsaid -shafts,and means for rotating -said cooperating gear.

4. An extensible shoe1foriii-comprising, in

combination, separate fore and `heel parts,

rotatable shaft vmeans liaving'threadedscrew connections with said fore and heel parts for adjustably kextending and -retracting said form, and gearsfmounted wholly-between and vindependently of said fore and heel parts to -operate said shaftlmeans, said screw connectionsiha-ving a steep pitch relative to the pitch ofsaid gears whereby fine adjusting move- .inentsof said fore andhee'l parts maybe im- ;parted-by operation-of said gears and wliei'ebyl said shaft means and said gears form a rigid abutment between said fore and heel jpartsiholding them to their adjusted-position when the .formis under pressurein the shoe. '5. `An extensible shoe formicomprising, in combination, separate fore and heel parts,

-rotatable screw-shaft means extending `in screw-'threaded relation vwith said fore and :heel parts lwhei'eby wlien the form 'is in the shoe .rotation of said screw-shaft means in 'for said rotation of said screw-shaft means Vwhile 'the form is in the shoe, said screwshaft means Fha-ving a 'greater lextension of screw-threaded relation with one-of said parts of said'foi'm than with the other and said one .partfbeing freely mounted on said screwshaft means whereby before the form is placed in the shoe said oneipartinay be turned on said screw-shaft means to increase the extension range ofsaid form.

v6. An extensible shoe form comprising, in combination, separate fore and heel parts, rotatable shaft means having screw connections with said fore and heel parts for adjustably extendingand retracting Vsaid form, two gears mounted on said shaft means to rotate the saine, another gear eoacting with both said first-'mentioned gears to turn the saine, and means for manually turning said other gear, said screw -connections having threads of steep pitch relative'to -said gears, whereby said shaft means and said gears formarigid abutinentbetween said fore and heel 'parts holding them to their adjusted positions when the form is vunder pressure in the shoe.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

lVILlJIAM BUDINOT CONNER. 

